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Thursday, August 6, 2009

Moments...Ahh, Special Moments

As most of you know, I enjoy posting periodic thoughts to this blog…especially when inspired. As of late, I’ve found myself busier than normal with the daily grind – getting in the way of all the fun stuff, some would say. However, today, I was inspired. I left the office about two hours early, as my “4:30” was about an hour drive. Driving through this small town I stopped at the county courthouse to check out their public library. I’m glad I did. The library was about 15X30 in size, and crammed top to bottom with books. Astonished, I found several modern books (books published in the last five years). I’ve been in a couple libraries in my day…for the good or for the bad…but, this bibliotheca was the quietest room I’ve ever been in. The only thing I could hear was their 1925 clock, ticking away as if it were on a mission to keep perfect time AND the 75 year old gentleman who volunteers at the library would make a slight whistling noise while taking a cherished breath. Those were the only two sounds. So I found a book I could indulge in and plopped down next to him. “Howdy Sir”, he said with a warm smile. I asked him if he was ‘holding down the fort today’, he smiled and “yep, sit down and have a read young man”…of course I obliged.

I found inspiration today from a passage in the book I picked up, The Fred Factor, the passage was by Winston Churchill. He said, “There comes a special moment in everyone’s life, a moment for which that person was born. That special opportunity, when he seizes it, will fulfill his mission – a mission for which he is uniquely qualified. In that moment, he finds greatness. It is his finest hour.” As I thought about those words, I jogged back to my college golfing days. Through the game of golf I’ve learned so much, so much about life, love (some politics) and other mysteries…haha…but I couldn’t shake one thought…a thought about competition. In a world filled with competition, I’m convinced we mostly compete with one thing and usually one thing only…and that’s our own potential. For when we compete against our best – best days, best moments, best self…we come closer to preparing ourselves for that moment Winston Churchill spoke of…the moment we fulfill our mission for which we are uniquely qualified.

My wish is to continue fighting the good fight – and that’s the fight with my potential. If we’re winners, I’m thinking we’ll one up Mr. Churchill’s statement and have many, not just one special moment. So...for all those with a glass…HERE-HERE….to special moments!!

JP's BookShelf

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